Frontiers in Surgery (Jul 2023)

Case report: Giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumor presented along with acute visual loss due to pituitary apoplexy after receiving COVID-19 vaccination

  • Haku Tanaka,
  • Fumihiko Nishimura,
  • Kenta Nakase,
  • Shohei Yokoyama,
  • Ichiro Nakagawa,
  • Shuichi Yamada,
  • Kentaro Tamura,
  • Ryosuke Matsuda,
  • Yasuhiro Takeshima,
  • Masashi Kotsugi,
  • Young-Soo Park,
  • Hiroyuki Nakase

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2023.1220098
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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ObjectiveA case of giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumor presented along with acute visual loss due to pituitary apoplexy after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination is reported.Case presentationA 45-year-old man was referred for a giant pituitary tumor with bitemporal hemianopsia. A surgical procedure was planned and then delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan, with a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine administered while awaiting surgery. Three days after the second COVID-19 vaccination the patient noted a progressively worsening headache that caused pituitary apoplexy and then a decrease in vision. Emergency surgery was thus performed.ConclusionPituitary apoplexy is a rare and life-threatening complication that may occur after undergoing a COVID-19 vaccination.

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